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He made his film debut in 1979 in the Golden Globe-nominated film for best motion picture, “King of the Gypsies.”
He followed that up with roles in the popular films “Star 80” and “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” as well as “Runaway Train,” for which he received a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
He has more than 550 credits to his name, as well as a sister and daughter who are both big Hollywood names.
She played Brunella in “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and has Hollywood in her blood with an Emmy-winning TV writer mother, Lila Garrett, and award-winning screenwriter father, David Rayfiel.
Married for more than 25 years and with Hollywood careers that span even further back, Eric and Eliza Roberts have a lot to talk about. On Sunday, the two will be at the Raue Center for the Arts for “The Craft of Acting” with Eric and Eliza Roberts, an interactive discussion covering their careers, as well as their craft, passions and success as a couple.
“We’re honored to be doing this on Feb. 2,” Eliza Roberts said. “We hope the attendees will have their nagging questions answered, and we hope to share our philosophies, techniques and experiences, and to learn along with the attendees.”
Eliza’s résumé includes actor, casting director, writer and producer, among other roles. When asked how it feels to be a woman in the film industry wearing so many hats, she said it feels natural to her.
“Where I see a need in any area of a production, I just love weighing in, connecting people, suggesting things. That’s how I knitted together a life and career consisting of acting, casting, coaching, writing and managing. I feel like you either do it all silently or you do it all and let your voice join the choir.”
The couple has been involved in many projects shot in the McHenry County area, including “The Dark Knight,” in which Eric played Sal Maroni, and “CONRADseries,” a new crime drama created by Ryan Atkins and Jennifer A. Goodman in which Eric plays Michael Conrad.
The show premieres Saturday in Chicago and will be pitched to network, studio and industry representatives and members of the media. Some scenes in the show’s pilot were shot in Crystal Lake, including at Main Beach and in the home of Crystal Lake residents Sharon and Jay LeCoque, who are friends of the Robertses.
The couple was involved in last year’s “A Chance in the World” charity event at Lakeside Arts Park at the Dole to bring awareness to the effects of a broken foster system.
The event was organized by Sharon LeCoque, the Lakeside Legacy Foundation and A Chance in the World Foundation, a nonprofit created by Steve Pemberton based on his experience in the foster care system. The foundation provides foster children with college scholarships because currently less than 3% of foster children receive a college degree.
The McHenry County chapters of CASA and Big Brothers Big Sisters also benefited from the event.
Eric and Eliza served on the panel, as they are dedicated to children’s welfare and charities. Singer-songwriter Keaton Simons also attended. Simons is Eliza Roberts’s son whose song “Find Us” is connected to the “A Chance in the World” film that was based on Pemberton’s memoir of the same name.
“We are very close with Steve Pemberton,” Eliza Roberts said. “We work together to protect children. Sharon LeCoque is our friend and is part of the community, and she has observed some of our coaching sessions when we have been at her home.
“There is a great pool of talent in your community, and we are thrilled to connect there.”
Working on projects together both on and off the screen, Eliza said the secret to her and Eric’s personal and working relationship is a bit of a long one.
“We love working together,” Eliza Roberts said. “We realize that supportive input is to point out things that feel great to hear and things that feel not so great. I’ll tell Eric when he sits down in the makeup chair to share courteously with the makeup artist things like that he likes to use plain ChapStick instead of more designer lip moisturizer, but that he needs to stay open to each new artist’s techniques and methods and not be ‘bossy.’
“That’s way more supportive than watching someone be bossy and saying, ‘Oh, your attitude is fine.’
“Another thing that bonds us is that we really work as a family. Keaton Simons, my son, does the music for many of our projects. Morgan Simons, my daughter, does the catering and hot set food.
“We are grateful to be working, meeting new people and having a place to thrive.”
Eliza said the same rules to “making it” in film apply to “making it” as a person.
“I think it’s really to see everything that is done in a style that you love, whether it’s comedy, romance, action or a combination,” Eliza Roberts said. “Then find and take every job, pay attention, stay sober and nourished, and give of yourself.”
The 90-minute-long interview-format discussion, "Life in the Arts," begins at 1 p.m. and will be conducted by Raue Center for the Arts Executive Director Richard Kuranda, who also is the founding artistic director for WSRep. An audience Q&A is set to follow. Tickets cost $14 for RaueNow members and $20 for the public. For information or to buy tickets, visit rauecenter.org or call the box office at 815-356-9212.